Delivering supplements without a feed

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adelemills

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My horse is older and slightly arthritic and so needs his supplements. He refuses to eat even a small feed now he is at grass, although he will eat it if he has been ridden. The wonderful livery girls have been dipping carrots into the supplements and delivering them that way (so kind but not the best use of their busy day) ...surely there is another less arduous way?????

Please suggest your ideas for delivering a joint supplement and devil's claw without feeding that is reasonably fast!

Thanks
 
Hmm I have toyed with the apple idea it could be the only way! - can't do licks I am afraid as he's not that interested and shares the field with two others who are much younger!

thanks folks
 
Could you clean an old wormer tube and then put the supplements in that, if a powder mix it with something to make a paste, and syringe it in?
 
My filly's off her food ATM and I'm syringing the necessary supplements/medicine into her using a syringe.

I've bought a 60ml syringe from the farm shop and cut the needle shaft section off of it. You need to make the small hole that's left at the bottom of the syringe bigger (about 5mm diameter). Then put whatever medicine/supplement you need to give into a cup and combine with enough natural yogurt to make it syringeable. Suck the mixture into the 60ml syringe and administer like you would with a wormer. I guess you could make the mixture more appetising by adding something your horse likes, honey, sugar, molasses, etc. Amazingly, my filly doesn't object to the repeated assaults now she knows the taste is okay and nothing bad is happening to her. Worth a try if nothing else helps?
 
My friend syringes her horses supplements mixed with apple juice. Quick and easy and no waste. ;)
 
jsr said:
My friend syringes her horses supplements mixed with apple juice. Quick and easy and no waste. ;)
Click to expand...

Apple juice would be fine for a liquid supplement but I've found that granulated ones dont mix into water or juice very well and the 'bits' tend to collect at the bottom of the cup when you're trying to syringe the mixture up. Then the granules often get stuck in the syringe (bit like a bottle neck) when you're attempting to squirt it into the horse's mouth. It's a real pain in the &*&$£% as there are only so many times even the most patient horse wants to let you try squeezing stuff into its mouth in one session!

However, if what you're adding will dissolve in the juice then it'd be a great idea. I might see if my antibiotic powders will dissolve in some. Just be sure to check first before trying - as I speak from experience of trying without it being dissolved first. What a pilava.
 
Will he take them in a sandwich? Maybe try a little honey/molasses/marmite to make it stick to the bread? Not such a good idea if they are liquid though!I have thought about making horse friendly flapjack type thing to drizzle liquids onto but haven't got that far yet :)
 
appylass said:
Will he take them in a sandwich?
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That's what I was going to suggest - a friend of mine gives her horse his bute in a jam sandwich every day - and when I was having to Sedalin mine, I did the same - also took the stress out of giving him the hated stuff & he loved eating his jam sarnies!
 
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